Coach Bruce Pearl of the Tennessee Volunteers was named the 2010 Red Auerbach Coach of the Year during a ceremony at the Final 4 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Red Auerbach Award is given annually to the nation’s top Jewish college coach, as voted on by the members of the Jewish Coaches Association (JCA).

The award came after a very successful season for Coach Pearl and the Volunteers. Tennessee finished 25-8 in regular season play with key victories over #1 Kansas and #2 Kentucky. This year’s campagin was the first time since the 1976-77 season that the Vols had defeated two top-five teams.

The Vols’ postseason performance was even more impressive. After receiving a #6 seed, Bruce Pearl led Tennessee to the elite 8 of the NCAA tournament. Tennessee captured notable victories over #2 seed Ohio State, #10 seed Ohio and #11 seed San Diego State before being narrowly defeated by Michigan State for a bid to the Final 4. This marked the first time in the program’s history that they had ever reached a regional final in the NCAA tournament.